Recently the Food and Drug Administration approved a new type of silicone breast implants known as “gummy bear” or cohesive gel breast implants. Dr. Dean Fardo of the Swan Center for Plastic Surgery near Atlanta GA is advising his patients on the pros and cons of the new implants.

Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) March 26, 2013

Every new innovation in medical science comes with advantages and disadvantages. Recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (citation needed), the new cohesive gel breast implants are no different. It is a new type of silicone gel implant that is highly cohesive and form stable.

When choosing between saline and silicone breast implants, patients often consider the material that leaks into the body when implants rupture. All breast implants have a chance at rupture. However, it is the common opinion that silicone implants give women a more natural looking chest contour, which makes them more desirable than saline implants.

“The qualities of the new cohesive gel breast implants that give it its advantages are also the same qualities that contribute to its disadvantages. The more form stable nature of the implant makes leakage virtually a non-issue even if there is a rupture of the outer shell,” explained Dr. Dean Fardo of Swan Center for Plastic Surgery.

Fardo continues, “Cohesives would have a low rate of rupture similar to the silicone implants. However, when a cohesive implant ruptures, it is contained in the pocket of the submuscular pectoralis. The material stays in place.”

Because the implant is a more solid, ultra cohesive gel, it has a slightly firmer feel to it than other implants. Silicone implants currently on the market generally last about 15-20 years and highly cohesive (gummy bear) implants will last about the same, 15-20 years.

The gummy bear implants require a larger incision than traditional silicone implants, which can be squeezed through a very small incision. However, incisions for cohesive gel breast implants are usually placed underneath the breast where it is hidden in the breast fold.

Capsular contracture is a hardening of the implant that can lead to pain and distortion. The problem occurs in a small percentage of breast augmentation patients for all types of breast implants. Capsular contracture depends on several factors such as if the surgery a primary augmentation or a breast reconstruction.

“Our team of plastic surgeons are excited that cohesive gel breast implants are now available to women in the United States. These have been used in Europe for years, and now U.S. women have more choices when choosing an implant for breast augmentation. I think that the cohesive gel implant will be a good fit for many of my patients,” says Dr. Fardo.

The Swan Center for Plastic Surgery is a leader in the aesthetic industry specializing in surgery of the breast, body and face.

The Swan Center for Plastic Surgery´s on site operating facility, Alpharetta Aesthetic Center is accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). The Joint Commission is an independent, not-for-profit organization; and is the nation’s oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in health care, focusing on patient safety and quality of care. The Atlanta plastic surgeons at The Swan Center are board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, among a multitude of further professional accomplishments.